1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high frequency operation apparatus and a high frequency operation method, in which a high frequency operation is performed by using paired bipolar electrodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a high frequency operation apparatus configured to perform a high frequency operation by using a high frequency treatment instrument provided with a bipolar electrode at a distal end treatment section thereof and by making a frequency current flow from the bipolar electrode to a living tissue as a treatment object. There is a case where a treatment for occluding a blood vessel is performed by using the bipolar electrode which forms the treatment section in the high frequency operation apparatus.
In the case where the treatment for occluding the blood vessel is performed in this way, a treatment is performed in such a way that a high frequency current is applied in a state where the blood vessel is grasped by the facing bipolar electrodes, and that the blood vessel is occluded by Joule heat generated at the time when the high frequency current flows through the living tissue.
Note that the high frequency current passes through a portion having a lower impedance as an electrical characteristic. Further, the impedance value of blood is lower than that of a living tissue, such as a blood vessel.
When the high frequency operation is performed by a treatment section 71 provided with facing bipolar electrodes 72 and 72 in a preceding example, there may be, for example as shown in FIG. 14, a case where a large amount of blood 74 is adhered around a blood vessel 73 grasped by the bipolar electrodes.
When a high frequency current is applied in this state, the impedance of the blood 74 is lower than that of the blood vessel 73 as explained above, and hence a larger high frequency current flows into the blood 74 than into the blood vessel 73. Thereby, there is a possibility that the blood 74 is scorched and stuck to the bipolar electrodes 72 and 72 due to a rapid increase in temperature of the blood 74 by Joule heat, so as to make it difficult to smoothly perform the treatment to occlude the blood vessel 73.
Further, when the treatment is to be performed by grasping the blood vessel 73 between the bipolar electrodes 72 and 72 similarly as shown in FIG. 15, there may also be a case where the distal end portion of the bipolar electrodes 72 and 72 are immersed in the blood 74.
Also in this case, similarly to the above described case, there is a possibility that when a high frequency current is applied, a larger amount of current is made to flow into the blood 74, to cause the blood 74 to be scorched and stuck to the distal end portion of the bipolar electrodes 72 and 72.
For this reason, a high frequency operation apparatus and a high frequency operation method are desired, which are capable of reducing the scorching and sticking of the blood even in the state where the blood is adhered to the bipolar electrode, and which are capable of smoothly performing a high frequency operation, such as a treatment to occlude the blood vessel.